I am a retired teacher and I have zero sympathy for the teachers who have lied (called in sick) cheated (left their classes in limbo..illegally) and have shouted slogans and carried signs depicting the Wisconsin Governor as Adolph Hitler or have shown him in rifle crosshairs. This seems to prove that all the rhetoric that came out after the AZ shootings is lost on the demonstrators in Madison’s capitol. So much for reasonable and non-hostile confrontations.
The Mad Dogs of Madison were let loose and now they are trying to rein themselves in because of the negative reaction to their demands from all over the nation.
I wonder what the Madison students think of their teachers???
The public employees in our neighboring state have been waa-waaing about how underpaid and downtrodden they are. But facts about teacher salaries and benefits in Wisconsin tell a different story.
In a February 22 article, Matthew Boyle reveals a bit of uncomfortable truth. Boyle thoroughly researched some teacher’s salaries and has published it for everyone to consider. Here is some of the truth- telling from Boyle.
“Leah Lechleiter-Luke of Mauston (WI) HIgh School told CNN the budget changes {propoposed but not yet passed} would force her to look for additional part- time work……Lechleiter-Luke makes $54,928 base salary and $32,213 in fringe benefits which include health insurance, life insurance and retirement pay. She was chosen Wisconsin’s “teacher of the year” last year.
Brad Lutes and his wife Heather Lutes told MSNBC’s Ed Schultz that Walker’s budget would hit them twice as hard.
‘Having to explain to an 8- and 10-year old that the governor of your state wants to take away money from dad and mom? It’s just really really frustrating ‘ said Brad Lutes.
He makes $49,412 in base salary with $27,987 in fringe benefits and his wife makes $50,240 with $9,413 in benefits. That’s $137,052 annually between the two of them.”
It is confusing to me to think that earning almost $140,000 a year is some kind of crisis that is unexplainable to your children. But then….I became a teacher back when teachers expected to work hard for their school districts and do a lot of extra things for students..for which we were not paid any extra. Today’s union teachers would say we were stupid dupes who got “used” by school districts.
When I re-entered teaching in 1980 it was a different world. All of us were assigned some extra non-teaching duties like selling tickets at school athletic events. I always forgot to turn in my “voucher” for the extra pay because I did not expect to get paid for selling tickets at a game or supervising a school dance or party. But my union colleagues chastised me for not turning in the vouchers the day after I had done my “duties”.
I never once felt that the school district was “using me”. Performing occasional extra duties (like 2-3 times in the school year) did not seem overwhelming at all. I was so glad to have gotten my school job that I was actually grateful for it. I loved my work and the students I worked with. Everyday was a joy even when I got tired or had a nasty cold, et.al. I still retained that happiness for having such a good job. I had vacations at the same time as my own children; I had June July and August off so I could take a class or two if I wanted to or just relax with my family for 3 months. I certainly did not feel like I had to go out and get a part time job in the summer. I got my paychecks every month during the summer and we lived comfortably on them.
But there is a great difference: I am part of the generation of late Depression kids that were born right before the outbreak of WW2. Our generation did not have to have it all…when we wanted it. We had been brought up NOT to borrow money to buy things; we saved up til we had enough to buy the thing we desired. I have not seen that sort of mindset for a couple of generations. The gimme- gimme- wanna- wanna urge has taken over and there seems to be little desire to” save for a rainy day”…to set aside a portion of your salary for future needs or emergencies. I know this is not true “across the board”. I know lots of sensible, prudent young families who live within their means. But there are so many who do not.
More revelations about some of the demonstrators in Madison who are also teachers demanding more money and more benefits.
Jim Nelson a teacher at Hamilton High School in Milwaukee who attended the union protests in Madison earns $62,877 in base salary and $26,492 in benefits thought “it as time we had to move and we did”.
Julene Flanagan a fourth grade teacher in Milwaukee said she was there “because she cares deeply” about the children. Flanagan makes $48,406 base salary and $37,600 in benefits.
Chris Fons , a social studies teacher at Milwaukee’s Riverside High School said the union protests in Madison are “a bottom-up movement and “the people have been acting and the leaders are following.” Fons earns $58,976 base salary and $25,646 in benefits.
Another interesting work- related statistic that Boyle researched:
“Per the Department of Commerce, in 2009, the average personal income for all Wisconsin workers was $37,380.
Now I bet those other workers have deep SYMPATHY for those poor overworked, underpaid teachers who work a 9- month contract each school year.
Cry me a river.
Even more enlightening is how much the WI teachers will receive in retirement, and just how much they contributed to their own retirement funds. Quite honestly, as a tax payer, I would feel very used, having to pay more so as to provide retirement and benefits for union teacher’s retirement. Or — is this just another way of redistribution of money?? I will not call it wealth as many who pay taxes are not wealthy people people and they do without so that the union teachers can have more with less inpute.
Thanks for your comment SL—-I agree with you. As I understand it WI teachers do not contribute much to their state teacher retirement fund—-I did big time in MN
They have to contribute to SS but they;probably would like to have someone else pay for that too.
I am so disgusted with my former profession and thier union tactics. It did not used to be this way.
As I watch this unfold it is more like Lord of the Flies than democracy. I am a WI taxpayer. Middle income, middle-aged, mom. I cannot express the fear I’m feeling that Walker will be unsuccessful. These people have abused the collective bargaining privilege they were given by the State Legislature years ago. They have kept the Union boot on our necks every contract negotiation with veiled threats of strikes, walkouts and adolescent arguments about not being appreciated if they don’t get what they want – uhm, neeeeed. I am not for abolishing unions; however, they need to clean their house if I’m to respect them anymore. Like they have done with our State budget, they have overdrawn on their past – way past – laurels. I’ve had no annomosity towards public workers even tho I’ve had no voice in their negotiations and must tolerate their hands in my pockets. I know what it’s like to be bullied and blackmailed on lesser issues and I’m feeling that way in spades today.
Anytime there is a Union and negotiation involved it makes for bad feelings all around. What always amazed me ..if the teaching contracts were not signed..then they taught anyway for a period of time..I remember when Moorhead Teachers went on Strike and people crossed the lines to teach..the kids..I think Trica was in fifth grade..maybe sixth..about 1983 or 1982. Anyway the kids had been told by their teachers to stay home and not go to school until the strike was over. MY girls went to school anyway..but they cried..so sad.
I don’t know.. it is a mess in Wisconsin…but certainly they knew it was coming..you cannot get blood out of a turnip..or can you?
Perhaps it is time to stop all foreign aid and get some for ourselves:(
The situation in Wisconsin is clearly not about the wages and the benefit cuts and salvaging the budget. As my friend Thothamon pointed out to me at the bar, the Governor has linked the wages and the taking away collective bargaining rights to balancing the budget. The collective bargaing rights have no direct impact on the budget. The unions have agreed to the wage and benefit cuts, thus solviong the budget part of the issue. It is a blatant attempt at union busting, nothing more.
In truth, it is a wonderful civics lesson for the students. This is one way that people in free societies make their voices heard.
Sorry Ted: the students I had for 25 years thrived and enjoyed my interactions with them. They learned to Love reading because I transmitted that wonderful qualtiy to them by introducing them to truly good books. I also taught them the valuable life skill of knowing how to use a library. I would never have put my own selfish interests in my wages and benefits before my students. Teachers from my era were not INTO THE BIG UNION BULLYING that we are witnessing in Wisconsin. That you should make a judgement that I am “stupid” shows how truly stupid YOU are.
by the way, I agree with the necessity of the pay and benefit cuts.
I’m late commenting but have browsed your blog. I am a teacher. I love teaching. I teach with Leah. She has three children, two teaching degrees and her masters or more. She has about twenty years.
She is one of the first to be at work and one of the last to leave being adviser for a number of clubs.
I guess what offends me more about your entry is you have offered no information on what you believe teachers should be paid based on years of experience, credits earned towards masters or doctorates, and incentives for implementing professional development in the classroom. You once taught, so you could best describe based on an areas cost a living what those teachers should be making.
I make 33,000 a year and take home 30,000. 3,000 goes to my benefits. I pay for most of my own credits for my license renewal. Half of my monthly take home goes to daycare while half goes to my mortgage and my mortgage is around 85,000. I don’t complain. I worry. I worry because job loss equals house loss and I teach a special subject. My two children need a place to live. And I wouldn’t want to do anything else but teach.
You don’t have to sympathize but I would love to see more people asking why doesn’t everyone have good benefits? Why doesn’t everyone have good healthcare? Why doesn’t everyone have good retirement plans? Not why should teachers have when others don’t?
Julie I believe that teachers in Wisconisin who put on such a blatant dislay of unionism(all worst parts of that) were a disgrace to other teachers.
I…and most of the teachers I taught with—were like the one you described…at school early, stayed late, took work home and devoted themselves to their profession. Those teachers that rioted in Wisconsin were all well paid and had great benefits and retirements that many would envy.
I objected to their behavior which disgraced and lowered people’s views of teachers’ unions so greatly that all that action at the state captitol did way more harm than good.